In a press conference held Wednesday afternoon, President Obama said it was time to “seize the moment” on immigration reform and that he is “very confident we can get immigration reform done.”
President Obama said that in order to have reform, he would need a bipartisan agreement with securing borders, making sure companies hire legal workers, ensuring a pathway for undocumented citizens to become legal, and supporting the DREAM Act.
As previously reported on La Plaza, President Obama stated that if he was re-elected for a second term, he would commit to working on reaching an agreement with lawmakers for comprehensive immigration reform during his first year.
He also indicated that his re-election was due to the strong lead and support of Latino voters. With 75% of Latinos voting for President Obama, it turned out to be true.
Mariaelana Hincapié, Executive Director of the National Immigration Law Center, says that the Latino political “relevance” makes her hopeful that Democrats and Republicans will come to an agreement.
“Republicans, especially, have to come to the table, but not with the same strategy as before,” she says. “This is not about militarizing the border; that has already been done; what we haven’t seen is the piece that will give people a road to citizenship.”
“As the first African American President, it’s up to us to ensure his legacy is not that he has deported the most brown people, but that he has created a roadmap to first-class citizenship,” adds Hincapié. “We’re very hopeful we think it’s not a matter of if, but when.”
Recent Comments